The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa HELLENISTIC CULTURE AND SOCIETY General Editors: Anthony W. Bulloch, Erich S. Gruen, A. A. Long, and Andrew F. Stewart I. Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic Age, by Peter Green II. Hellenism in the East: The Interaction of Greek and Non-Greek Civilizations from Syria to Central Asia after Alexander, edited by Amélie Kuhrt and Susan Sherwin-White III. The Question of “Eclecticism”: Studies in Later Greek Philosophy, edited by J. M. Dillon and A. A. Long IV. Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State, by Richard A. Billows V. A History of Macedonia, by R. Malcolm Errington, translated by Catherine Errington VI. Attic Letter-Cutters of 229 to 86 b.c., by Stephen V. Tracy VII. The Vanished Library: A Wonder of the Ancient World, by Luciano Canfora VIII. Hellenistic Philosophy of Mind, by Julia E. Annas IX. Hellenistic History and Culture, edited by Peter Green X. The Best of the Argonauts: The Redefinition of the Epic Hero in Book One of Apollonius’ Argonautica, by James J. Clauss XI. Faces of Power: Alexander’s Image and Hellenistic Politics, by Andrew Stewart XII. Images and Ideologies: Self-definition in the Hellenistic World, edited by Anthony W. Bulloch, Erich S. Gruen, A. A. Long, and Andrew Stewart XIII. From Samarkhand to Sardis: A New Approach to the Seleucid Empire, by Susan Sherwin-White and Amélie Kuhrt XIV. Regionalism and Change in the Economy of Independent Delos, 314–167 b.c., by Gary Reger XV. Hegemony to Empire: The Development of the Roman Imperium in the East from 148 to 62 b.c., by Robert Kallet-Marx XVI. Moral Vision in The Histories of Polybius, by Arthur M. Eckstein XVII. The Hellenistic Settlements in Europe, the Islands, and Asia Minor, by Getzel M. Cohen XVIII. Interstate Arbitrations in the Greek World, 337–90 b.c., by Sheila L. Ager XIX. Theocritus’s Urban Mimes: Mobility, Gender, and Patronage, by Joan B. Burton XX. Athenian Democracy in Transition: Attic Letter-Cutters of 340 to 290 b.c., by Stephen V. Tracy XXI. Pseudo-Hecataeus, “On the Jews”: Legitimizing the Jewish Diaspora, by Bezalel Bar-Kochva XXII. Asylia: Territorial Inviolability in the Hellenistic World, by Kent J. Rigsby XXIII. The Cynics: The Cynic Movement in Antiquity and Its Legacy, edited by R. Bracht Branham and Marie-Odile Goulet-Cazé XXIV. The Politics of Plunder: Aitolians and Their Koinon in the Early Hellenistic Era, 279–217 b.c., by Joseph B. Scholten XXV. The Argonautika, by Apollonios Rhodios, translated, with introduction, commentary, and glossary, by Peter Green XXVI. Hellenistic Constructs: Essays in Culture, History, and Historiography, edited by Paul Cartledge, Peter Garnsey, and Erich S. Gruen XXVII. Josephus’s Interpretation of the Bible, by Louis H. Feldman XXVIII. Poetic Garlands: Hellenistic Epigrams in Context, by Kathryn J. Gutzwiller XXIX. Religion in Hellenistic Athens, by Jon D. Mikalson XXX. Heritage and Hellenism: The Reinvention of Jewish Tradition, by Erich S. Gruen XXXI. The Beginnings of Jewishness: Boundaries, Varieties, Uncertainties, by Shaye D. Cohen XXXII. Thundering Zeus: The Making of Hellenistic Bactria, by Frank L. Holt XXXIII. Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora: From Alexander to Trajan (323 b.c.e.–117 c.e.), by John M. G. Barclay XXXIV. From Pergamon to Sperlonga: Sculpture and Context, edited by Nancy T. de Grummond and Brunilde S. Ridgway XXXV. Polyeideia: The Iambi of Callimachus and the Archaic Iambic Tradition, by Benjamin Acosta-Hughes XXXVI. Stoic Studies, by A. A. Long XXXVII. Seeing Double: Intercultural Poetics in Ptolemaic Alexandria, by Susan A. Stephens XXXVIII. Athens and Macedon: Attic Letter-Cutters of 300 to 229 b.c., by Stephen V. Tracy XXXIX. Encomium of Ptolemy Philadelphus, by Theocritus, translated with an introduction and commentary by Richard Hunter XL. The Making of Fornication: Eros, Ethics, and Political Reform in Greek Philosophy and Early Christianity, by Kathy L. Gaca XLI. Cultural Politics in Polybius’s Histories, by Craige B. Champion XLII. Cleomedes’ Lectures on Astronomy: A Translation of The Heavens, with an introduction and commentary by Alan C. Bowen and Robert B. Todd XLIII. Historical Fictions and Hellenistic Jewish Identity: Third Maccabees in Its Cultural Context, by Sara Raup Johnson XLIV. Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions, by Frank L. Holt XLV. The Horse and Jockey from Artemision: A Bronze Equestrian Monument of the Hellenistic Period, by Seán Hemingway XLVI. The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa, by Getzel M. Cohen XLVII. Into the Land of Bones: Alexander the Great in Afghanistan, by Frank L. Holt The Joan Palevsky Imprint in Classical Literature In honor of beloved Virgil— “O degli altri poeti onore e lume . .” —Dante, Inferno The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa Getzel M. Cohen UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley Los Angeles London Published with the support of the Classics Fund of the University of Cincinnati, established by Louise Taft Semple in memory of her father, Charles Phelps Taft. University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2006 by The Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cohen, Getzel M. The Hellenistic settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa / Getzel M. Cohen. p. cm. — (Hellenistic culture and society ; 46) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn-13: 978-0-520-24148-0 (cloth : alk. paper) isbn-10: 0-520-24148-7 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Cities and towns, Ancient—Syria. 2. Cities and towns, Ancient—Red Sea Region. 3. Cities and towns, Ancient—Africa, North. 4. Syria—History—333 b.c.–634 a.d. 5. Africa, North—History—To 647. 6. Red Sea Region—History. 7. Greece—Colonies—History. I. Title. II. Series. ds96.2c62 2006 930'.0971238—dc22 2005015751 Manufactured in the United States of America 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 10987654321 This book is printed on New Leaf EcoBook 60, containing 60% post-consumer waste, processed chlorine free, 30% de-inked recycled fiber, elemental chlorine free, and 10% FSC certified virgin fiber, totally chlorine free. EcoBook 60 is acid free, and meets the minimum requirements of ansi/astm d5634-01 (Permanence of Paper). In memory of my parents, Hyman and Anna Cohen Contents preface / xiii the scholarship and the sources / 1 Recent Scholarship, 1 The Sources, 3 a geographic overview / 21 Northern Syria, 21 Cyrrhestice and Chalcidice, 28 Commagene, 30 Phoenicia, 32 Southern Syria, 35 The Red Sea Basin, 43 Egypt, 50 Cyrenaica, 68 i. northern syria / 71 Achaia, 73 Alexandreia by Issos, 73 Antigoneia on the Orontes, 76 Antioch in Pieria, 79 Antioch near Daphne, 80 Antioch under Libanos, 93 Apameia on the Axios, 94 Apollonia, 101 Arethousa, 101 Arsinoe, 102 Astakos, 104 Charadros, 104 Demetrias, 105 Dipolis, 106 Epiphaneia, 106 Heraia, 108 Herakleia by the Sea, 108 Herakleia in Pieria, 110 Kallipolis, 110 Kasiana, 111 Laodikeia by the Sea, 111 Laodikeia near Libanos, 116 Larisa Sizara, 117 Lysias, 119 Megara, 119 Nikopolis, 120 Pella, 121 Perinthos, 124 Ras Ibn Hani, 124 Seleukeia in Pieria, 126 Seleukeia near Belos, 135 Seleukeia on the Bay of Issos, 136 Tegea, 139 ii. chalcidice / 141 Chalkis on Belos, 143 Maroneia, 146 iii. cyrrhestice and commagene / 147 Ainos, 149 Amphipolis, 149 Antioch near the Tauros, 150 Antioch on the Euphrates, 151 Arsameia on the Euphrates, 152 Arsameia on the Nymphaios, 152 Beroia, 153 Chaonia, 155 Doliche, 155 Doura ix Europos, 156 Epiphaneia on the Euphrates, 169 Europos Carchemish, 169 Gindaros, 170 Herakleia, 171 Hierapolis Bambyke, 172 Jebel Khalid, 178 Kyrrhos, 181 Meleagrou Charax, 184 Nikatoris, 185 Oropos, 185 Samosata, 187 Seleukeia on the Euphrates/Zeugma, 190 Serre, 196 Stratonikeia near the Tauros, 196 iv. phoenicia / 199 Alexandroschene, 201 Demetrias by the Sea, 201 Eupatreia, 203 Herakleia in Phoenicia Arka, 204 Laodikeia in Phoenicia Berytos, 205 Leukas Balanaia, 209 Leuke Kome, 210 Marathos, 211 Orthosia, 211 Ptolemais/Antioch Ake, 213 Tyre, 221 v. southern syria / 223 Aenos, 225 Anthedon, 225 Antioch by Hippos, 226 Antioch in Huleh, 228 The Antiochenes in Jerusalem, 231 Apollonia (Arsuf), 233 Apollonia in Coele Syria, 234 Arethousa, 235 Arsinoe, 237 Birta of the Ammanitis, 237 Capitolias, 239 Chalkis under Libanos, 239 Deme- trias Damascus, 242 Dion, 245 Dionysias, 247 Gerasa Antioch on the Chrysorhoas, 248 Helenoupolis, 253 Heliopolis Baalbek, 254 Hellas, 255 Jerusalem (The Akra), 255 Larisa, 263 Lysias, 263 Panias, 264 Pella/Berenike, 265 Philadelpheia Rabbat Amman, 268 Philoteria, 273 Samareia, 274 Seleukeia Abila, 277 Seleukeia/Antioch Gadara, 282 Seleukeia Gaza, 286 Seleukeia in the Gaulan, 288 Shechem, 289 Skythopolis, 290 Straton’s Tower, 299 Sykaminopolis, Boukolopolis, and Krokodeilopolis, 302 vi. the red sea basin and indian ocean / 305 Ampelone, 307 Arsinoe/Kleopatris, 308 Arsinoe near Deire, 310 Arsinoe Trogodytika, 310 Berenike Epi Dires, 313 Berenike Ezion Geber, 314 Berenike near Sabai, 315 Berenike Panchrysos, 316 Bere- nike Trogodytika, 320 Dioskorides, 325 Kleopatris, 326 Klysma, 327 Leuke Kome, 329 Leukos Limen, 330 Myos Hormos, 332 Nechesia, 338 Philotera, 339 Ptolemais Theron, 341 vii. egypt / 345 Euergetis, 347 Kleopatra, 348 Paraitonion, 348 Philometoris, 349 Ptolemais in the Thebaid, 350 viii. alexandreia near egypt / 353 ix. cyrenaica / 383 Apollonia, 385 Arsinoe Taucheira, 387 Berenike Euesperides, 389 Kainopolis, 393 Ptolemais Barke, 393 appendices I.